Blast from the past: 7 seasons ago

CCFL Division 1

By John Hayes

Stradbally Town 0 Abbeyleix Ath. (G. Fennelly 87′) 1

Heartbreak for the hosts at the death as Abbeyleix burgled all three points here. With Stradbally’s back three solid throughout it took something spectacular to take the game away for them. Enter Ger Fennelly who volleyed home a cleared corner from the edge of the box and it flew into the top-left hand corner. Robert Kelly had no chance in the Stradbally goals. With no time remaining the home side had little opportunity to get back into the game. Little that went beforehand suggested such a result. The hosts had two great chances in the opening half as they threatened to run away with this tie. Both Seamus Lalor and Derek Gorman were guilty, however, of blasting wide of the target when one-on-one with Philip Peacock; the Abbeyleix custodian. Such misses were to prove costly against an Abbeyleix side still smarting from last year’s relegation. Stradbally continued to squander gilt-edged chances in the second period as well. Bill Kelly had a glorious opportunity to blast the home side into the lead but again didn’t make Peacock work in the opposition goals. Abbeyleix soaked up all that pressure and they didn’t pass up the chance to take the lead with just three minutes left on the clock courtesy of Ger Fennelly’s contender for goal of the season.

Stradbally Town: (3-5-2) Robert Kelly; Daniel Dunne, Ger Byrne, Karl Mulhall; Bill Kelly, Steven Buggy, Alan Delaney (David Kinsella 60′), Damien Murphy, Ray Mulally; Seamus Lalor (Wesley Maher 60′) , Derek Gorman (Colm Beale 60′)

Abbeyleix Athletic: (4-4-2) Philip Peacock; Martin Fennelly, Tom Bergin, David Brennan, Adrian Burke; Ger Fennelly, Eoin O’ Brien, Gerry Scully, Martin Fennelly (Conor Bergin 70′); David Moore (Noel Burke 75′), Niall Wallace Sub Unused: Harry Lynch